While I really like the CERN project, there are other valuable projects in Boinc-space that can use my computer time. I know other people in these forums are hoping for more work, and I can't really say that I'm not one of them. I, however, get the feeling that there might be a "make-work" expectation forming in the community.

I don't mind that the work with CERN is sporadic, and I am pretty certain that when you guys do put out work, it's high quality work.

I agree with Chris. I have crunched for LHC since the days when it was falling apart and I'm overjoyed when I saw a real effort to move the project forward.

I would hate to see work units being generated just for the sake of keeping the queue filled but not having any real value to CERN. I do understand that there needs to be a certain amount of test crunching as revisions are made. Also, the need to test various new designs to the LHC project.

One of the reasons that I don't think a Cuda (GPU) version is needed right now is because of the high powered processing that can be realized there is a resulting high demand for work (Tasks). If the project doesn't naturally generate enough work then people end up setting around on the Message Boards grousing about why there is no work.

I crunch Cuda work but I do it for SETI@Home because they appear to always have lost of work to be done. Sadly, they have had some ongoing issues with their servers since they are not well funded and depend on the largess of UC Berkley and contributions from participants (and others). If you are looking for other Cuda work then try Einstein@Home. They do Cuda tasks that run for longer periods.

I would hate to see work units being generated just for the sake of keeping the queue filled but not having any real value to CERN.

The question is... do these tasks have any real value to anybody? Mostly they are to develop Eric Mcintosh's dream of identical results from OSX, Linux and Windows so he can publish a paper. That was a worthy goal years ago but it isn't anymore. If your project has trouble getting results from the 3 major platforms to verify then the new, modern, sensible way to do it is use a VM and have all platforms run the same app in the VM.

What Eric is doing is like one of us spending thousands of hours learning to hunt and kill elephants with spears... not an easy job, takes a lot of skill if you want to walk away from it alive. Why not just get a rifle, spend a few hours at the shooting range to learn how it shoots and be done with it.

It till not effect workflow because what the sixtrack program does is simulating settings of the magnets which keeps the beams in the right lane when travelling through the rings.
We test the settings for that the scientist know hich are working and which cause trouble.

When there is no more work to send we have to wait for Eric to supply new one. This process is not automated here.Christoph

We are also planning a new test server with better CERN user BOINC communication. Some new CERN users should be starting.

There is talk of a "new era" at T4T. Is that what you're talking about too? Is Sixtrack gonna run alongside Pythia and the other CERN-T4T apps? Under Copilot? That would be nothing less than splendiferous awesomeness!!! Whatever it is I hope you do something about the tail problem. Damn! It's been going on for more than 5 years and next to nothing has been done.

If you're not going to run alongside Pythia et al then you have to bite the bullet and configure the server to insert resends into the front of the queue and send them to fast, reliable hosts. You gotta bite the bullet and just do it even if it means upgrading the Sixtrack server.

Boinc works well for me. When CERN queues are empty, I run my other favorite projects, some now passing 12 years or more - darn, seems impossible time flies that fast. And I divide that extra processors by 40%, 20% 10 and 30% to pass the work around. But when CERN is up, it gets minimum of 80% of my credits, and I know they are work units, and not just keep me busy units. So when available, so am I. However Test4Theory down loaded what was needed, tried to run but seems to blow up after a few seconds. Just not enough time free to see what is wrong - with my end of course.

But next fall in Europe, I am thinking about a trip up North and across the ponds just to see this wordly wonder, and meet the virtual friends there of course!
Bill in Sao Paulo (BR)William C Wilson
São Paulo Brazil